A dog looks out the window of a Tesla electric vehicle being charged at a Tesla Supercharger location in Santa Monica, California, on May 15, 2024.
Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Images
Tesla The company is losing its edge over legacy automakers in the quality of its new all-electric vehicles, according to an influential annual study by JD Power.
The first U.S. quality study in 2024 found that the quality of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from Tesla and traditional automakers was equal, with 266 reported problems per 100 new vehicles sold or leased.
Previously, Tesla models outperformed legacy automakers’ electric vehicles in the annual survey. Last year, the Tesla received a rank of 257 problems per 100 vehicles, compared to an average of 265 problems per 100 vehicles for electric vehicles from traditional automakers.
The study attributes Tesla’s growing problems to a negative reaction from customers after the company removed traditional feature controls such as turn signals and windshield wiper stalks.
Across the industry, not just BEVs, Tesla has consistently ranked near the bottom in initial quality since JD Power began including Tesla in the study in 2022.
Overall, the study, which included data on dealer repair visits for the first time, found that electric vehicles such as BEVs and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) face more problems than traditional gasoline and diesel-powered internal combustion engine vehicles.
“Owners of cutting-edge, technology-equipped BEVs and PHEVs are experiencing problems so severe that they are taking their new vehicle to the dealer at a rate three times higher than owners of gasoline vehicles,” JD Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at Power said in a press release.
The study found that plug-in vehicles require more repairs than gas-powered vehicles across all repair categories.
According to the study, BEVs experienced an average of 266 problems per 100 vehicles, 86 points higher than gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles, which experienced an average of 180 problems per 100 vehicles. A lower score indicates higher vehicle quality.
Top concerns included features, controls and displays, and wireless smartphone integration, as customers often reported difficulties Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The study also reported frustration with false alerts, unnecessary traffic alerts and automatic braking features. Backseat reminders, in particular, cause 1.7 problems per 100 vehicles across the industry, with owners reporting that they receive signals even when no one is in the backseat.
“Unsurprisingly, the introduction of new technologies has challenged manufacturers to maintain vehicle quality,” Hanley said.
—CNBC’s Michael Wayland contributed to this report.
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2024-06-27 23:22:38
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